Pours a black/brown color with a creamy mocha head, that recedes to a fresh collar. Smells of chocolate and bourbon with some toffee and roasted malts. Strong Barrel presence on this it very good a tad hot still, bourbon was not as mellow as i like but still very good, mothfeel was a little thin but this stout packs a punch of BA. Overall was very tasty and a pleasure to sip.

2014 vintage. Poured into a stout snifter. Dark black/brown with thick creamy brown head that sticks around with healthy lacing. Exquisite smelling beer-sweet roasty chocolate with strong barrel presence. Tastes great too-bold sweet chocolate notes, backed by boozy barrel flavor that comes with a mild tang. Only complaint is the slight thin feel to it, but otherwise, this is an outstanding barrel aged stout.

t: slightly bitter dark chocolate, chewy coffee, roasted malts, oak, vanilla, a dash of honey sweetness, cola. i'm glad to see that dark cherry also made its way into the taste as well. there is a silky molasses sweetness as well (a touch darker tasting than honey). there is a real nice dark, earthy flavor coming from the wood in here as well. the bourbon is laying in the background here - just a faint hint, adding a real nice layer of complexity and depth to this. a real treat

m: medium mouthfeel - a tad lighter than i was expecting, but it really works well with the way the beer has been made

o: this is a delightful beer to drink. the flavor has great depth, and is extremely well harmonized. price tag is high, for sure, but this is a fantastic sipper, and a great one to share

Pours a deep black with a head that disappears fairly quickly and has a foam that circles around the glass but nothing in the middle. The smell is very sweet. Vanilla, almond, roasted pecans, coffee, and dark chocolate. The taste is even better! The bourbon and honey comes through right away along with brown sugar, more roasted nuts, and chocolate. Also a lingering vanilla flavor makes this one quite sweet which is just fine by me. It is an incredibly smooth beer and has one of the best feels, easily up there with the other world class barrel aged stouts that I've had. Overall it's a special beer and is definitely not worth 30 dollars but for a special occasion this fits the bill perfectly.

Eclipse 2015 - Elijah Craig
Look: Half inch of dense foam. A little bit of lacing. It fizzes up a bit when you tilt it side to side. Nice-looking stout, but it doesn't have the typical BA stout look to it. 4.0
Smell: Tons of bourbon and cocoa powder and an oaky spiciness to it with a bit of dark fruit in the background. Subtle and layered. 4.25
Taste: Follows through with the bourbon and cocoa, and the oak barrel is still assertive. Some bitter hops on the finish balance it out. 4.0
Mouthfeel: Nice stickiness but not the fullest body. 3.75
Overall: A great BA stout. 4.0

Look - dark, dark brown. Not quite black motor oil. Good bit of foam head upon pour which dissipates over time.

Smell - typical imperial stout. Some cocoa, but not getting much bourbon on the nose... at least not as much as I expected based on smell from other Elijah Craig 12-year BA beers.

Taste - cocoa and coffee are the two that really come up big. But nice roasted malts, descent carbonation on the taste.

Feel - Smooth. Really nice. Not much heat but the bourbon taste is still present. Cannot stress enough: smooth. On a scale of 1 to 10 on mouth feel, I would give this a 7. Little bit thinner than I expected but by no means thin.

Overall - very good beer. I enjoyed this very much and it's actually a 22oz bottle one can enjoy by themselves (but don't drive afterwards). Would enjoy this again, but unfortunately the price tag sometimes prevents that. In the end, no one the enjoys BA imperial stouts will be disappointed.

2012 Vintage 9.5%
Coke a cola type color. No head, minimal carbonation.
Chocolate brownies, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, bourbon.
Dark fruits, raisins, fudge, charred oak, lasting bourbon.
Medium to heavy mouthfeel that coats the mouth. Minimal bitterness.
Glad I didn't miss the opportunity to have this 2012 in a trade. Due to the $30 price tag, I can only see myself enjoying this every couple of years. Decadent treat!

look: Dark dark brown as an Imp Stout should be, nearly opaque. Some cola highlights. Big ass tan head for a nearly 12%'r and thick creamy lacing.
smell: Like the other variants, a big rich nose. A characteristic honey and roast creamy nose with the nice bourbon addition.
taste: Perfect companion to the nose. All those flavors in a wonderful blend. My favorite variant so far.

2015 bottle on my 40th birthday. Pours a solid black with a thin layer of tan head with no lacing. Nose is a delicious blend of caramel, roasty attributes, and whiskey. Taste is an even better blend of the nose attributes. Mouthfeel is surprisingly a bit thin for the ABV, carbonation good, and the finish sweet and bitter that doesn't linger. Good, very much so. Worth the price, debatable.

2015 Vintage, Bottle Run 2: into a snifter, it pours blood red color as it's leaving the bottle but looks black in the glass with a 1 finger foamy tan/brown head that was full of tiny bubbles, dissipating very slowly and leaving good spotty lacing that slides down on the side I drank from and foamy rings on the other side.

Smells of chocolate, bourbon, oak barrels, peat moss, coffee grinds, cocoa powder, espresso, vanilla, smoked grains, charred wood, hot fudge or brownies, earthy notes and some faint piney hops. The bourbon is very present but not dominating, letting the smoked malts and chocolate malts swirl into a complex and wonderful aroma. Like the other FiftyFifty Eclipse variants I've had, this aroma was excellent and what I expected.

Tastes similar to the nose with rich chocolate, bourbon, oak barrels, peat moss, coffee grinds, Hershey's chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, espresso, vanilla, and then some fruity notes like raisin, dates and plums, wet tobacco, brown sugar, molasses, candied sugar or Belgian yeast, and then more vanilla and coffee. The Elijah Craig bourbon whiskey taste is distinct and meshes so well with the roasted malts, barrel notes and hop accents that it leans towards the spirit flavors slightly over the beer base. After each swallow the vanilla shows up again along with toasted coconut, maple syrup, brown sugar and smoked grains. The longer it sits the better it gets, and the hops come out more with some piney notes, lemon zest, tea leaf and peppery spices. The ABV is masked completely and this is a slow sipper that I wanted to somehow drink at a pace below slow so more dynamic flavors could come out an hour later. That didn't work out (slowing it down), but this was a great brew which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Mouthfeel is creamy and buttery smooth to the point of being slick as it slides down with mild carbonation, a light alcohol burn and a thick, chewy feel that makes the body seem heavy even though it's only medium to heavy. There is a slight bitterness that's coffee-esque, with a finish that trails off on the sweet side and has a nice mix of cocoa, brown sugar, piney hops, toffee, bourbon, smoked wood and vanilla. It fades like a Frappuccino with a shot of bourbon in it and a sprinkle of dry citrus hops and roasted chocolate malts. It really was a pleasure to dink and a beer I highly recommend and will seek out again.

So when speaking of beers that have a high expectation, this is it. Super high price point. I mean, 25 bucks at the brewery, damn cuz. Expectations met. Huge Bourbon flavor with a great body and wonderful flavor. Maybe a tad thin if i had to complain. Overall excellent. If i was a rich guy, id drink it often, but im not

This is the second time I am trying a bomber of this beer in the last two months. It's good, but it's lacking that wow factor I want from BA stouts, I don't think it stands out in the category. I know it may just be my palate right now at this moment. Worth a try but would not seek or trade for.

Jet black with a very thin cap, but more than I commonly see in BA stouts. Bourbon is pronounced but not obnoxious. Tons of caramel and vanilla in the nose with heavy roasted malt and chocolate. The taste doesn't have the sickly soy sauce like sweetness that can bury these beers for me. Thick, viscous feel without leaving too much sweetness in the finish.

Wow had to crack this one Tonight for the Broncos celebration to the SB. So I shared this with 2 other BAs. From the smell to the finish this BA Stout was AMAZING... Yes the $ tag is up there but when it comes to drinking fine BA Beers if that's your thing then it's only$$. Well done 50/50. Will buy and drink this again.

This beer poured a dark black color into my snifter glass with almost no head. Lots of great bourbon in the nose with hints of some sweetness. The taste is actually fairly mellow not over blown with bourbon. The mouth feel is smooth and has a nice viscosity. Another great variant from 50/50.

S - Bourbon is so huge even after one year. A tinge of alcohol. Milk chocolate, cherries, and oak.

T - Bourbon and a pure alcohol taste clash, but it isn't exactly "hot". Lacks the usual chocolate, coffee, and overall roasty notes from stouts. Bourbon does lend a subtle sweetness and there is some oak to be had, but overall this is falling flat.

F - Thick enough I guess, but a far cry from what you'd expect from a massive 11% barrel-aged imperial stout. some touches of alcohol, but they don't burn. It actually might be too clean on the finish.

O - It's an ok BA stout, but not worthy the money. Many, MANY other Ba stouts are more readily available and are better in overall quality. Seriously, if I find out you spent $30+ on this I will come to your home and slap you.

Let's get it under way, I've got the Purple Waxed Fifty/Fifity. I might have to review this brew every season. For this year's tasting let's describe it for the masses. First things first, how did she pour? This year she poured just as exceptional as every year. Nice Dark Black sexy body with a deep Mocha Wig. She is looking Beautiful tonight!

How does she smell? First waves of subtle dark fruits..(light oxidation). Second waves of chocolate covered Almonds. It's deep with the fragrance, yet not holding attention. Light char with notes of malt sweetness. She's aight to the nose!

Ahh! The flavor! This thing hits you harder than some MTX 1200 Watt Subwoofers in a GMC Sonoma playing Frank Sinatra. She hits hard but in a classy way. The first initial flavor is, of course, Honey Sweetness that anchors notes of Chocolate. Second flavor brings that Almond aroma to life. It's that rich toasted almond flavor that I dig in Elijah Craig Bourbon. Third wave of flavors come in with toasted grains and slight Barrel Char. This finishes Sweet, Dry and Boozy with bitterness hitting the palate at full force. The aftertaste though is Banging! Sweet Chocolate covered Almonds with a tight Char note. It's a great aftertaste. The feel is upper tier but not saying anything to add to the brew's greatness. It's feel is Medium-light with so-so carbonation.

Overall: I keep it humble, IMO this brew is worth the coin. It is classy with the right amounts of Roasted Malts, sweetness and Barrel Notes that are not so agressive that you feel like you just got Bourbon Raped! The flavors on point and are to my liking. The only thing I cannot dig is its Boozy finish and its mouthfeel. Even though it's not offensive, it is just not adding dimension to the brew. This brew would be on "OMG" status if it had more heft in its Mouthfeel and a smoother finish. The brew is Outstanding and I will drink again. This Brew is Recommended!